Six Months on a Slaver: A True Narrative (1879)

"Six Months on a Slaver" is a true narrative providing a realistic descriptions of the horrors of the slave trade experience of an American seaman, Edward Manning (1839-1919), who ships from New London, Conn., in 1860, on a three years' cruise, in an ostensible whaler, which proves to be a slaver on its way to the African coast.

It is a plain, unvarnished narrative of the manner of obtaining and of conveying a cargo of Africans from the African coast to Yucatan. Several instances of inhuman treatment inflicted on the poor slaves, and the general unpleasantness of the subject, work upon the sympathies too much to make it altogether pleasant reading; but the author tells his story simply, without aiming at producing any sensation, and it appears a faithful record of the way the debasing traffic was carried on.

In describing the scene when he realized he was on a slave ship, Manning writes:

"The crew generally seemed to be well pleased at the new phase the voyage had taken, and were anxious for the time to come when the ship would be well filled with 'blackfish' oil, as they termed the negroes, and her bow pointed toward the States. I did not share in their satisfaction at the changed aspect of affairs, for I had scruples about being made an outlaw in this summary manner, and I foolishly expressed my sentiments openly. I thus brought on myself the ill-will of the captain…."

Edward Manning (1839-1919) was a sailor from New London, Connecticut, who in 1860 signed on with the "whaling" ship "Thomas Watson" only to later find it was a "slaver" ship on a voyage to transport slaves from Africa to Yucatan. Manning wrote of his experiences aboard the slaver in his 1879 book "Six Months on a Slaver: A True Narrative."